Now, on to the important stuff. Modest Moments will no longer be operating as said name. I’ve moved! To my very own domain :). So for my followers, if you’d like to, you can continue following me at mintandpeaches.com.

Thanks for the support,

Denise

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]]>https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/mint-peaches/feed/0helloagainhiStained yet smiling!https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/stained-yet-smiling/
https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/stained-yet-smiling/#commentsWed, 15 Aug 2012 20:26:37 +0000http://modestmoment.wordpress.com/?p=482Hey, hey…Hey guys! You see that picture right there?! That was my new “to-do” item. CHECKED OFF! Why the excitement? Well, you see, in yesterday’s post – I’m truly awful at this – I said I’d talk about my new to-do…

…And I did! Not but a day later (sure beats 75 days ;).

Monday evening I was sitting in the backyard enjoying a nice, cold refreshing beverage with a friend and staring at the plants, bushes, trees and what was supposedly keeping things in order. Yes, you guessed it, those planters. I realized they had definitely seen better days. The last time those poor things had seen any love was over ten years ago when my grandpa was in the country. He decided to stain them from their natural wood to this odd rusty/orange-y stain, sans sealant. So the weather wear and tear was clearly evident. Ten summers, ten winters and ten in-between the good seasons is A LOT for barely treated wood to handle.

Unlike my extremely poor DIY post about the Beluga dresser and two tables, I’m going to explain what I’ve done here. SUPER EASY! (Oh and before I forget, I used BEHR paint, named Beluga for the dresser – as for the dining room table it’s the same stuff I’ve used here so keep on reading!).

1. I washed and scrubbed down the surface of each of the planter, because I knew I wasn’t going to sand them down (weather helped me out here) I used old-school laundry detergent and warm/hot water and a harsh scrub brush.

2. After doing this to all of them, I rinsed and let them dry off in the sun – thank goodness for this excruciatingly hot weather, cuts down on the drying time for EVERYTHING!

3. I used Varathane Woodstain in Kona. This step was the most tedious. Due to already staining a gigantic table with this stuff I did it my own way, rather than the way the can tells me to. I used a paint brush, painted on the stain on one side, waiting two minutes and wiped down with a cotton cloth. Then went on to the next side, waited two minutes and wiped again. I repeated this step on all the planters and let them all dry for approximately three hours and then did a second coat.

4. The next day (today) I used good ol’ MINWAX Fast-Drying Polyurethane in a Clear Gloss. The reason I chose this stuff is simple, it was left over from another project and that had turned out great :).

Now, I’ve got pretty dark dark dark brown glossy planters, which make the flowers POPand I spent absolutely nothing! Sometimes, going through the garage and tidying up is a good thing, you never know what you’ll find to help ya out with a DIY.

The only problem with this project was that I wore shorts and flip-flops, I came inside and couldn’t believe the mess I made of myself yet I’m all smiles.

D.

PS. Next I’ll be talking about “moving”. EEP!

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]]>https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/stained-yet-smiling/feed/1helloagainhiplantersKonaclearI’m truly awful at this.https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/im-truly-awful-at-this/
https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/im-truly-awful-at-this/#respondTue, 14 Aug 2012 20:53:36 +0000http://modestmoment.wordpress.com/?p=471Here I am again, 75 days later and still haven’t written a single post about my cookies. I was on a roll for a few months there and then I pretty much dropped off the face of the planet. My excuse? I’ve been busy ;). Want to know the sad part? I lost the recipe for those cookies. My A.D.D riddled mind is on to new recipes and new projects! Before I go on about the other projects and recipes I’ve decided to fill ya in on things I did start and never posted about again, till today.

You’ve probably forgotten but I refinished an old dresser and (said) I would refinish two tables (a dining room table and coffee table). Fortunately, I did finish the dining room table, unfortunately…that poor coffee table is still in the garage.
If you’re confused about what I’m talking about this should help ya out. Anywho, here are the after photos. Please forgive the poop quality, my iPhone camera has water damage (not sure how that happened considering I’ve never dropped it into water) and my camera-camera is dead ATM. The colour I was aiming for was a solid black, however, after applying the first coat we noticed it had a slight blue tinge to it. I should have checked the paint can prior to applying but I was just SOOOOO antsy to get started. Turns out the original colour I wanted – Starlight something or other – was replaced by this new one they handed me called Beluga. Yep, that’s right, my re-finished dresser is called Beluga. Sigh. I wasn’t sure how I felt for the longest time but now that it’s in my room and the hardware is on it…I. LOVE. IT! I wasn’t going to keep the original hardware, either, but I figured I would try them out and see what it looks like. Turned out beautiful, in my opinion.

There you have it! the finished product ;). I’ll talk about my new to-do tomorrow or maybe even later on tonight. I would right now, but my first coat of stain is dry. Gotta go!

I was going to type out the recipe for last nights cookies but then I made another batch tonight – then I realized “oh deary, me! It’s almost midnight!”. So, in a nutshell, last nights and tonight’s recipes will be posted tomorrow. Trust me, the photos alone will make you drool ;).

]]>https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/preview/feed/0helloagainhi20120530-235914.jpgChocolate Peanut Butter Cookieshttps://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/chocolate-peanut-butter-cookies/
https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/chocolate-peanut-butter-cookies/#respondWed, 30 May 2012 05:35:55 +0000http://modestmoment.wordpress.com/?p=458I was sitting downstairs working on math homeworking, throwing my financial calculator at the wall behind my laptop…when I realized that I was HARSH craving chocolate. Low and behold, this household never has chocolate. Or anything sweet for that matter. SIGH.

Luckily, I love baking. I figured, why not take a break from this brutal homework and indulge in sweets. Win/Win situation, don’t ya think? (Although, I would have preferred something ready and made).

Anyhow, here’s the recipe – they turned out super moist and delicious.

The Ingredients:

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 sunflower oil

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (this part is optional, I didn’t have any chocolate chips so I cut it out)

I was wasting time again today, creeping Facebook, tweeting away and taking pictures of old drawings I’ve done – when I came about a bunch people going on about “Color Me Rad”. My curiousity was piqued. Colour? Me? Rad? What on earth could they be talking about?! So I Googled. Boy am I glad I Googled. Colour Me Rad (pardon my Canadian way of spelling colour) is a 5k run, with a twist, raising funds for Keep A Breast Canada. The race takes place August 18th at 9am at Thunderbird Stadium at UBC. You’re probably wondering, okay, this is for charity, so how much!? Well, here’s a bit of info:

Early Bird Registration $40.00 Deadline June 1st

Regular Registration $45.00 Deadline July 6th

Late Registration $50.00 Deadline August 3rd

Now for the colour bit…Don’t worry! They don’t use anything that will burn your skin off, give you blisters or infect you. Unless of course you’ve got some sort of allergy. According to their site the colour is “non-toxic, non-rash-inducing, Kroger branded, coloured corn-starch. Subsidized by the government and processed in the USA”. They even state that “[the] blasts of starch will change your colour, and your demeanor but never your level of wellness”. So there you have it! If you’re not intrigued, I don’t know what to tell ya. Contact them, ask your questions. But what I know is this, I AM TOTALLY sold. Just look at the pictures!

-D.

PS. Now just to get the friends to join :( lol.

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]]>https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/colour-me-rad-vancouver/feed/0helloagainhiColor_me_radcolourA little scatterbrained.https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/a-little-scatterbrained/
https://modestmoment.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/a-little-scatterbrained/#respondThu, 24 May 2012 06:08:03 +0000http://modestmoment.wordpress.com/?p=422Is scatterbrained a word? I was typing it out, put a space between “scatter” and “brained” but even that didn’t look right. Although, what I have written out doesn’t look all that right either. (Note: this is how I’ve been all day). When I decided I wanted to write something out tonight I couldn’t figure out what I’d start with or where I’d go. So here goes.

First! Can I just tell you how honestly heartbroken I am that House is over? Obviously, you clued in by my last post House, Hugh Laurie & heartbreak. I feel, though, that I should explain to you why. Well, reiterate why. Besides that it was a show unlike any other, sarcastic asshole being the main character, a show that played for eight long years and questioned every viewers ideals for even remotely liking a sarcastic asshole. Gregory House wasn’t all that bad. If you haven’t seen the final episode of the series then you might want to stop reading here. When, I thought he was dead, when that building exploded, I was frantic. How could they end eight years just like that! Luckily, they didn’t. When House sent Wilson that text saying “shut up you fool”, I knew he wasn’t really dead. House did the nicest, kindest most genuine thing he could have done. He let everyone believe he really did die in that inferno in order to spend Wilson’s last few months together. So, people, this is why we love him. Deep down, EVERYONE, believed that there was some good in House. At least, I know I did. I will admit this, I cried like a seven year old girl who has lost her favourite Barbie. Not at the end of the show, but the beginning. WAH!

Second! I was going to do a chevron bracelet tutorial, like I said I would, but honestly I just don’t have the time to take the pictures and explain how to. This will have to wait a little while longer. If you can’t wait, I am really sorry :(,but our dear friend Google can help.

Third! I was on Pinterest again last night, as usual, and came by an absolutely easy and delicious recipe for pistachio and rose water ice cream. Yep, the picture above. Doesn’t that just look and sound dreamy? I literally went “oh..my…god” as I saw the picture for it and almost died when I read the recipe. S-I-M-P-L-E. Rather than typing the recipe and preparation out, here’s the link – Javane’s Kitchen. Check out her other recipes, if you like (or as I do, love) Persian cuisine, you’ll fall for her recipes.

NEXXXXT…..I came by this app called Inkflow a few days ago. I’m one of those people who LOVES to doodle and actually write out notes. I’ve tried a bunch of different apps in the last few years of owning an iPhone and nothing has quite compared to this. It’s not entire too sensitive and very very easy to control. There is a free version and a paid version. Give it a shot if you’re like me. Click the photo or the link below for more info :).

I don’t know how I feel about this. Around February 8th, 2012, Fox letall House fans that this season would be their last. I have a bunch of questions. The most important and crucial being – WHY?!?!?!

Why on Earth would you end such a gut wrenching, thought provoking, hilarious and unreal show? I mean, c’mon! I’ve been a HUGE House fan since the show first debuted in 2004. I was only, approximately, 16 at the time and could have followed all the other shows on TV (ex. The OC) but there was something about Gregory House that grabbed onto my teenage mind. In all honestly it was probably his superficial, sarcastic manner. And insanely bright blue eyes. Yes, I’m a geek, I know.

Seriously though, I’ve heard a lot of people say “well how can the show even go on?”, “what else are they going to do?”, “how many moreshocking illnesses can he cure?”, “it lost it’s charm a long time ago”. My answer to all of that is simple, they still have Survivor on TV. Survivor. Seriously. No offense to all anyone who watches that show, but I was asking the same questions asked about House after the first Survivor. It’s all the same dilly dally bologna.

So how can they keep House going? He’s a sarcastic, S-O-B genius! A show CAN, and has been, based on less. Killing Wilson off, or House off or whatever happens tonight is sad. Just absolutely sad. I understand they’re trying to end the series, but it’s rushed. Why rush the end? Hm? Besides, what else am I supposed to watch on Monday nights? Or PVR for that matter.

I mean sure, I can get my Hugh Laurie fill (hehehe) any day – watch his movies, listen to his music but I won’t be watching or listening to the same character I’ve enjoyed for the last eight years.